Faceless Angel
by Final Hikari
Summary: 2/100 of the Genesis Rhapsodos x Minerva 100 Themes and present for Dratz. Although it is but a dream, tormented by the dark future that awaits him, Genesis fleetingly remembers his lost home.


Final Hikari: This is a present for my good friend, Dratz! I know there isn't any occasion to speak of, but this is based off on idea she had. I'm writing this as a thank you for all the support that she gave me this time last year; I was too unreachable back then to realize how precious having friends like her is. This is the last I can do for someone who helped me as much as she did.

Genesis: …You're going to send me off to go give her a hug, aren't you?

Final Hikari: Why, yes, that was my plan.

Genesis: …What will you do if I don't comply…?

Final Hikari: :D The next oneshot of this neglected 100 Themes will be co-authored by Dr. Meh!

Genesis: X.X Oh goddess…

Final Hikari: -sweet smile- So go and give my good friend a hug! She's quite busy, but I hope she gets the chance to read this soon. :D So, Genny, get going! And take these chocolate chip cookies with you, Dratz needs sweets. XD

Genesis: -heavy sigh- Yes, yes…at least I don't have to fly to Malaysia or Australia this time…

Final Hikari: Exactly. And, as always, I don't own anything from Final Fantasy VII.

_Faceless Angel_

The warm breeze blowing over the cliff sent her long, elegant strands of pure blonde hair blowing backward. Her gaze was set on the horizon, and her divine gray-green eyes seemed to reflect the warm colors of the setting sun. The sky was pained welcoming shades of orange, yellow, and red; the salty ocean just beyond the cliffs that protected Banora Village was calm and reflected the sunset immaculately.

Her long white skirt was also being rustled in the wind; the smooth satin material was perfectly suited for her. Everything about her was elegant pristine - from the tiara on her head to the trim on her boots, she was flawless. Her beauty was beyond human - a true reflection of divinity. The Goddess of the Lifestream was perfect as her title implored she would be.

He was hardly deserving - his hands were scarred and eternally stained by the shadow of blood that could never be washed away. Thus was the fate of a SOLDIER; he it had been his decision to become a dog of the military. Even in the most elite organization, SOLDIER First Class, it didn't the fact he was a hired murderer.

The worst kind of killer; the one whose sins were condoned.

The most unforgivable sinner; the one who gladly clasped the hilt of his sword and smiled as he flew into battle.

The black demon's wing on his left shoulder surely was the truest testament to that, just as the perfection of the Goddess who stood before him a testament to her purity and omniscient love. Even for a long forsaken sinner such as himself.

She always looked as though if he reached out to touch her, she'd disappear like the fleeting dream she forever was. Perhaps someway, someday, she would truly stand before him in all her glory. Nevertheless, a smile came over his war-hardened features as he ascended the rocky path that lead up to where she stood.

The gravel crunched beneath his boots as he approached her. The air was clean and fresh, carrying a slight scent of salt from the ocean below. The warm breeze rustled the leaves of the many Banora White Trees in the orchards that filled every available area around Banora. Though the village was small, only large enough to be self-sufficient, it was such a wonderful contrast to the smog and noise of Midgar.

He could see a swarm of ephemera and fireflies coming out or returning to the many forests below as the sun's descent continued. The sky on the opposite horizon where the sun's light barely reached was growing darker; the blue color of the night sky would soon engulf it, followed shortly by the first stars of dusk.

The laughing voices from the children of Banora faded when their parents started calling them in for dinner. They had their fun, playing games with each other after school, and now had to return to their families and bid each other goodnight. The small stores and stands in the town were undoubtedly closing their doors for the night and bringing in the last of their wares.

All was silent, except for the gentle sounds of nature that surrounded them.

He knew his lovely faceless angel wouldn't turn around. He didn't need to see her face to know the magnificence of her smile. He stopped only when he stood a few inches away from her. The sweet aroma of her hair blowing in the wind was faintly sweet.

He reached out, gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her closer. He leaned his cheek against her smooth hair, smiling contentedly. Her soft hand closed over his affectionately. She murmured his name happily, but as soon as she spoke, the world around them started to fade.

The salty breeze disappeared first; the brightness of the sunset followed suit. The first was replaced by the stagnation of sanitized air in the Shin-Ra's darkest region, Deepground. The second was replaced by the interminable darkness of the lab underground. He opened his eyes slowly as the pleasant scent of her hair also disappeared.

They were surrounded in darkness and her form was fading. He could see through her body as his smile faded back into the enigmatic expression most SOLDIERs wore. The void fell completely silent as the last trace of his distant home disappeared.

The dream was ending.

He remembered the term he'd heard the Wutaian use to refer to their religion's equitant of 'Minerva.' The ideology was quite different than the ones that covered most of continent Shin-Ra now monopolized. He was no expert in the language of Wutai, but the name stuck with him.

_"Kao ni nai tenshi…"_ he whispered unto the abyss. Her form, somehow nostalgic, faded into nothingness as he uttered the final word.

His hand still felt warm where she had touched him.

He lowered his arms and waited for even the empty world he stood alone in to disappear. Even then, he knew where he would be when his senses returned - how could he not? The nightmarish reality of his situation was unforgettable.

The shadow of a bitter smile came over his lips as he felt his consciousness being tugged back to the real world.

"Faceless angel," he said in a louder voice that echoed and reverberated back to him.

Genesis Rhapsodos' eyes opened slowly, only this time in reality, to see the ceiling of the room he'd been assigned in Deepground. It took his vision a moment to clear, and as soon as it did, he grimaced in pain. His hand flew to his shoulder over the bandages that covered the unhealing wound that had Director Lazard insisting he remain on injured reserve.

He stared blankly at the plain, cold room. There were no windows; the lights in the ceiling were all dark. The only lonesome light to illuminate the room came from a digital clock mounted in the wall. It, as always, was incorrect. It has a recurring malfunction to count more than sixty minutes in an hour.

In contrast to his very pleasant dream, it read a very unlucky not to mention impossible hour of the night - or day - it was truly impossible to know unless scientists or doctors came to poke at him and informed him of the time and date. No light penetrated Deepground, and the artificial light was very unhelpful.

The digital number displayed on the click's screen displayed an impossible time of the day; sixty-six minutes after six.

_**6:66**_

He glanced away from the number and back to the ceiling. He didn't bother sitting up; it would only aggravate his wound. He tried to suppress his dark tumultuous thoughts with simple memories of Banora; he wouldn't get any sleep if he didn't control what passed through his mind.

His eyes eventually drooped closed as sleep finally reclaimed him. He doubted he'd be fortunate enough to have another good dream - it'd either be too deep to permit subconscious thought or simply riddled with nightmares. Such was the fate of a monster bearing a demon's black wing.

However, though he was already asleep and oblivious to the calming sensation, the hand Minerva had held in his dream remained warm. It was almost as though his Goddess' - his Faceless Angel's - ethereal hand still rested over his, a sign she was eternally watching over him, even in the darkest corner of the organization that cursed them both.

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Final Hikari:: Viola! I hope you enjoyed reading, Dratz! I enjoyed writing this, and I'm sure you could see where a lot of the inspiration came from. I shall talk to you soon, my friend! :D

Minerva: Ahem. -turns to all other readers- As you probably guessed, Genesis has been sent off to give the receiver of this oneshot a hug.

Final Hikari: -also turns to readers- I apologize for any typos or stupid mistakes in this one. My editor is taking AP classes and I have yet to get a FF beta with compatible programming. XD Anyway; I can't promise when the next one will be up, or if I'll start doing them in chronological order, but I am going to make them short and sweet like this one more often. It makes it easier on me so I can write more and it makes the quality of the fan fiction higher. Suggestions and recommendations for events in future themes are always welcome.

Minerva: And feedback is always appreciated.

Final Hikari: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this one, please look into the other installments of this 100 Themes I have posted. I'll always do my best to please the readers!

~Somewhere in the skies above America or the Atlantic Ocean (or the Pacific), depending on how lost this poor Gaian is in the real world~

Genesis: X.X So…much…flying… Package…of cookies…getting…heavy… Too…many…gift fics…


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